Applicator construction



Oct. 7, 1969 SCHWARTZ-MAN 3,471,245

APPLICATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 20, 1967 ATTORNEY US. Cl. 401-207 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An applicator comprising a fluid container having an open neck. A retainer ring having a projecting portion is fitted in the neck. A pad of porous resilient material is disposed on the ring and is held in a dome-like shape by means of a fabric cover. The ring has an opening therethrough and a downwardly extending flange is provided for holding a disk of porous resilient material with the ring constantly maintaining the disk in spaced relationship from the pad so that surface tension of fluid on the disk will normally prevent flow of fluid beyond the disk even when the container is overturned, until the pad is depressed causing air or fluid forced back from the pad to break the surface tension.

This invention relates to an applicator for dispensing various fluids such as cosmetics, medications, pigments, shoe polish, inks, paints, or adhesives or the like.

Various types of applicators have been devised for con-. venient application of fluids. In the past, certain of the applicators employed mechanical valves such as in my previous Patent No. 3,084,375, issued Apr. 9, 1963, for Dauber. The use of the mechanical valve is for the most part satisfactory especially when used with very free flowing fluids. However, it has been found that for various thick fluids, pastes, and jellies, it is possible to eliminate the mechanical valve.

Heretofore valve assemblies have been devised using a pair of pads one of which forms a reservoir which upon contact by another pad passes fluid to this other pad. However, this type of applicator has proved to be not completely satisfactory because of continuous leakage of the contents due to the capillary action provided and enhanced by the contact between the pads.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an applicator which eliminates any mechanical valve assembly and which employs the principle of surface tension on a disk underlying a small opening for preventing flow of fluid until the cover is depressed forcing fluid to break the surface tension of the fluid on the disk.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an applicator which eliminates the possibility of capillary action and requires only a relatively small and thin lower disk rather than necessitating a relatively large reservoir pad, thus reducing the size and cost of the device.

Still further objects and features of this invention re side in the provision of an applicator employing means for integrally supporting a pad on one side of a retaining ring and a disk on the other so that the only operation necessary for assembling firmly and holding both pads in spaced relationship to each other and permanently out of contact are two simple swaging operations. 7

Other objects of the invention reside in the provision of an applicator which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use, capable of metering fluid in various viscosities in an effective manner and which is capable of being used on various types of containers, including squeeze containers.

United States Patent 3,471 ,245 Patented Oct. 7, 1969 ice These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of this invention, which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this applicatorconstruction, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an applicator construction in accordance with the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the applicator in use;

.FIG. 3 is a plan view of the disk comprising one of theelements utilized in the present invention; and FIG. .4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the disk taken along the plane of line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, the applicator comprising the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10and includes a container 12, such as a squeeze container or other, having a neck 13. Disposed in the neck 13 is aretaining ring 14 which includes anoutwardly extending flange '16 overlying the top edge of the container 12. The flange 16 includes an upwardly extending lip 18 as well as a downwardly extending lip 19 terminating in a beaded edge 20 for snap engagement within a complementary groove 21 formed in the outer surface of the neck 13.

A pad 22 formed: of neoprene foam is positioned in overlying engagement with respect to the retaining ring 14 and a cover 24 of a porous woven fabric overlies the pad 22. A circular rib 26 extends upwardly from the retaining ring 14 and the lip 18 is swaged over the cover 24 and the pad 22 holding the pad 22 slightly under compression so that the outer surface of the cover 24 assumes a dome-like or semi-hemispherical configuration. The retaining ring 14 includes a web 28 which has a central relatively small opening 30 therethrough for permitting flow of fluid. The radius of the opening 30 is not more than the thickness of the web 28. Depending below the web 28 is a peripheral flange 32 which extends about the opening 30 and which is spaced therefrom approximately the diameter of the opening 30. A disk 34 of resilient porous material such as open pored urethane foam is disposed within the periphery of the flange 32 and underlies the opening 30. The flange 32 is then swaged into position underlying as at 36 the peripheral edge of the disk 34 holding the disk slightly under compression with the disk 34 being always maintained in spaced relationship to the pad 22 by the thickness of the web 28.

In use, the disk 34 will absorb fluid from the container 12 when the container 12 is overturned or squeezed.

However, unless the squeezing action is strong, the container shaken, or the pad 22 is depressed, the surface tension on the fluid across the upper surface 40 of the disk 34 will be sufficient to prevent fluid flow. When overturning the applicator, the surface tension is sufficient to restrain flow of fluid until the cover 24 is depressed against the surface to be treated. Then, any of the fluid being metered still retained in the pad 22 will be forced back through the opening 30 against the surface 40 breaking the surface tension. If the pad is empty of the fluid being metered, then the atmospherical fluid or air will be pressed back against the surface 40 of the disk 34 again breaking the surface tension and permitting flow of fluid, at which time the fluid will then flow in the directions indicated by arrows A into the pad 22 and thence through the cover 24 onto the surface being treated.

A latitude of modification, substitution and change is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordinlgy, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An applicator comprising a fluid container having a. neck terminating in an open end, a retainer ring of polyethylene having a projecting portion of reduced cross sectional dimensions fitted in said neck, a pad of porous resilient material disposed on said ring, a fabric cover overlying said pad, means peripherally securing said cover to said ring holding said pad under compression so that the outer surface of said cover is substantially dome shaped, said ring having a relatively small opening therethrough for passage of fluid from said container, a disc of resilient porous material under said opening so that said ring continuously maintains said disc always'in spaced relation to said pad, and means securing said disc under compression to and against said ring so that surface tension of fluid on said disc normally prevents flow of fluid beyond said disc even when said container is overturned until depression of said cover causes fluid from said pad to break said surface tension, said last recited means comprising a peripheral flange integral with said ring swaged radially inward and surrounding and underlying said disc, the radius of said opening being not greater than the thickness of said retaining ring, the radius of said disc being substantially the same as the diameter of said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,004 11/1939 Grant 401207 2,853,728 9/1958 Nadai 401-207 3,393,963 7/1968 Nadai 401-207 LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner 

